Democracy is the people’s government: the highest form of political authority, based on a shared responsibility for governing. It ensures that all citizens have access to basic services and rights through transparent and accountable institutions. It guarantees freedom of speech and religion and protects the rights of minorities. Democracy also establishes regular free and fair elections, open to all adults, in which competing parties compete for the support of the people.
Democracy requires compromise and trust among all citizens, as well as a willingness to sacrifice in order to advance society. While democracy has not yet achieved perfection, it is far preferable to the alternatives of dictatorship and totalitarianism, which impose their own values. Democracy has been around for over 250 years, a remarkable achievement given the challenges it has faced. The future of democracy depends on a renewed commitment to its core principles and the hard work of implementing them in each generation.
The most obvious way to participate in democracy is by voting, but there are many other ways that ordinary people can engage with politics and government: They should be able to criticize their elected representatives at the local and national levels and to observe how those leaders conduct business. They should be able to freely present their proposals both directly and through the media. And they should be able to expect that independent courts and commissions will punish corruption, no matter who the guilty parties are. Above all, they must be able to exercise their democratic rights without fear of violence.